Jump to content

Hurricane identification


Recommended Posts

Hi guys,

 

can anyone confirm that this is a metal wing Hurricane MkI ?

http://www.vintagewings.ca/Portals/0/Vintage_Stories/News%20Stories%20G/Aviation%27s%20Cross%20Dressers/WTF-79.jpg

(I tend to believe it is based on the position of the landing light.)

 

TIA

Rob969520239_HurricaneLuftwaffecolor.jpg.4eab25d5897d8baf0e35c87cc28ac22e.jpg

Edited by Rob_Haelterman
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Rick,

 

I was afraid that that was another possibility.

I always try to spot the difference by looking at the fillet where the leading edge of the wing meets the fuselage, but in this case, somebody is standing in front of it.

But the nose does indeed seem a bit long for a MkI, now that you mention it.

Wasn't the oil cooler not a bit deeper on the MkII as well, whcih this plane seems to have ?

 

TIA

Rob

Link to post
Share on other sites

It could even be a IIb, might that be a machine gun port just behind the officer person behind the wing? This might also account for the deeper

radiator as it may have been an armoured one.:dontknow:  It is definitely a metal wing variant though.

 

-------------------

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
26 minutes ago, Rob_Haelterman said:

Interesting :-)

But... was the Mk II ever fitted with an armored radiator?

I thought it was only introduced on the Mk IV.

 

You are correct. The MK IV I'm thinking was only in Burma Campaign. I'm going by memory on that.

I don't see that it is a larger radiator. The armored radiator was wider not longer and in photo that area is very dark plus angle maybe makes it look bigger. Sorry I just don't see it as bigger.

As for a MKIIB. I don't see the outer guns.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I was not referring to the bigger, armored radiator, but to the (slight) difference in size between Mk I and Mk II accordig to some sources.

(From https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/64364-hurricane-noses-and-the-hasegawa-172-kits/)

Hurricane_dimensions MkI vs MkII.jpg

Edited by Rob_Haelterman
Forgot source of image
Link to post
Share on other sites

Not sure if this helps, but this is the same photo as above and the caption below it says its a Mk.II from probably early in the North African campaign:

 

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Hurricane/Hawker-Hurricane/pages/Luftwaffe-captured-Hawker-Hurricane-MkII-most-likely-North-Africa-01.html

 

I just stumbled on it so again, not sure if it helps.

 

Good luck!

 

Regards,

Don

Link to post
Share on other sites

Looks like a Mk IIA and it doesn't look like North Africa, besides, it's missing the Volkes air filter.  The one thing I'm curious about though is the white square under the port wing, which has the German insignia applied over it.  It could be the pic, but it also looks like there was some other insignia in the square before the German one was added.  

Link to post
Share on other sites

Going by the landing gear doors the bottom of the left wing is black. Might be Lt. Grey or Lt. blue used to paint out the British roundel or to make the black crosses stand out.

Dk green and Dk earth top colors is another clue it is a early MK IIA .

 

My guess would be not in the desert since there is mud on the wheels and no volks filter.

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

The odd camouflage seen below the radio mast and main canopy is interesting as well (right in front of the tiny portion of the  black cross visible in the picture on the fuselage). If the Hurricane originally carried RAF squadron letters plus an individual aircraft identification letter (which it probably did) odds are they would have been painted out by the Luftwaffe. The strange camouflage in the photo is pretty close to where those RAF identification letters would have been. The dark green right by the black cross reminds me of Luftwaffe black green?

 

Regards location, its probably not early in the north African campaign but mud/dirt/dust on the tires and lower fuselage did occur in every theatre of WWII so its absence or presence isn't the most ideal clue to figuring out location. I just grabbed the first photo that popped up in my search and you can see similar weathering on this P-40's tires:

Related image 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...